Tag: J.K. Rowling

ith movie theaters serving up the latest round of Wizarding World delights from J.K. Rowling in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” here are my rankings of the nine “Harry Potter” universe films so far (I’m considering “Deathly Hallows” to be one movie, not two). Starting from the weakest and working my way to the best, this is how I rank them. Lumos!

.K. Rowling’s first movie script, 2016’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” leans heavily on the introduction of lovable characters – and more than its fair share of creatures, of course. It includes a side plot about a troubled boy, Credence (Ezra Miller), but that’s the most forgettable part; it’s there because the film can’t only be a fun encyclopedia. The second of this five-part “Harry Potter” prequel saga, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” course-corrects and emphasizes the story – for better or worse.

t’s been 17 years since the cinematic birth of “Harry Potter,” meaning the film series is now old enough to do something Harry, Ron and Hermione never did – graduate from Hogwarts! To celebrate this saga of nine films and counting – with a 10th (“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”) coming this year — let’s take a look back at what’s come so far. (And if you’d like to follow along, a marathon starts at 9 a.m. Jan. 1 on HBO, and the films are also available via HBO Go.) We start, naturally, with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (2001):